November 2010

Beman and Bertie Dawes founded The Arboretum with the dedication to increase the love and knowledge of trees, history and the natural world. Most plants on The Arboretum’s grounds are hardy in central Ohio. The collections include more than 15,000 living plants. Of these plants, 4,500 are unique names (taxa). Records kept for each plant include specific location, scientific and common names, origin and age.

Each collection and garden area is worthy of a visit. Every season brings a different view. The Japanese Garden showcases muted colors in the spring when the Japanese cherry trees are in bloom. The Conifer Glen’s evergreens stand regal even in the peak of summer.

In 1869, Dodge built his handsome Victorian home at 605 Third Street at the cost of $35,000, a lavish sum for that day. The fourteen-room, three-story mansion stands on a high terrace overlooking the Missouri Valley, and displays such architectural features as parquet floors, cherry, walnut and butternut woodwork, and a number of "modern" conveniences quite unusual for the period.

Both the Dodge House Ballroom and gardens are available for rent. The Ballroom is perfect for an intimate wedding or event, and the beautiful gardens are in bloom throughout the spring, summer, and early fall.

The Olde Towne Preservation Association preserves the heritage and character of North Augusta and to pass the history onto present-day visitors in this living history park.

From the development of the Living History Park where school children witness history firsthand through living exhibits and demonstrations of colonial life, to participating in the Christmas Parade, members of Olde Towne participate in many activities which benefit the people of the area. The Living History Park serves citizens from a two state area (South Carolina and Georgia). During the school year the park is used by area teachers as a teaching tool. This 7.5 acre park with natural springs provides for the children hands-on educational experience into the history of our area.

The six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve offer something for everyone, from history to culture to outdoor adventure. For outdoor activities in a Louisiana wetland, vist the Barataria Preserve in Marrero. For talks and tours at the site of the War of 1812's Battle of New Orleans, visit Chalmette Battlefield in Chalmette. For a look at the influences that shaped one of America's great cities, visit the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans.

For the history of the Acadian (Cajun) people who settled southeast Louisiana, bayou boat tours, and craft demonstrations, visit the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette. For the prairie Acadian story, cooking and craft demonstrations, and Saturday night at the "Cajun Grand Ole Opry," visit the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice. For bayou boat tours, free jam sessions with local musicians, and the history of Louisiana's bayou country, visit the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux.

The establishment was opened by Captain Bill and bonnie Daniels. Today, it continues to provide visitors with the excitement of firefighting history. The museum cares for a horse-drawn pumper, a beautiful brass stream-powered fire engine, fire trucks from the 1930s, and many more fire trucks and fire engines dating back 100 years. Visitors can participate in a number of hands-on activities including pumping water, operating a fire alarm telegraph system, and pretending to drive a ladder truck. During April through October, a ride in a fire truck is included with admission.

Featured exhibits portray the history of Fort St. Joseph, built by the French in 1691, the story of the Underground Railroad in southern Michigan, and the importance of the railroad and classification yards in Niles' history. Another unique and truly outstanding exhibit features the museum's Lakota Indian collection including twelve pictographs drawn by Chief Sitting Bull.

The museum uses hands-on displays, video and audio, and interesting artifacts to tell this fascinating story. Visitors will learn why and how Frankenmuth became "Michigan's Little Bavaria." The Frankenmuth Historical Museum is also accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Today the centerpiece of an 11-acre New York City park in Jamaica, Queens, King Manor Museum was the home and farm of Founding Father Rufus King from 1805 to 1827. Rufus King was an author of the U.S. Constitution, as well as one of New York's first United States Senators, Ambassador to Great Britain and an early, and outspoken, opponent of slavery. King Manor later became the estate of King's son, John Alsop King, who served as New York's Governor. King Manor has been a museum since 1900.

UTSA's Institute of Texan Cultures maintains 50,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Exhibit Floor at UTSA's Institute of Texan Cultures features exhibits that showcase Texas culture, history, science, and technology from many cultural groups, as well as the history of how these groups traveled across the globe to call Texas home. Guests are encouraged to bring their cameras, and be ready to engage all their senses. Many of the exhibits feature hands-on elements. The talented group of docents will share the story of each exhibit, and guests are encouraged to interact with our character performers.

Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor.

Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back.

At the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, extensive museum exhibits tell the story of growing sectionalism and strife between the North and the South, and how these problems ultimately erupted into civil war at Fort Sumter.

At the Fort Sumter museum, exhibits tell the story of the construction of the fort and island, the events leading to the April 1861 battle, the subsequent bombardment of Fort Sumter by artillery, and the Fort's history through the present day.

Fort Sumter is a designated historic site, so recreational activities are limited to passive pursuits such as scenic viewing and bird watching.